1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to buoys. More particularly, it relates to a buoy having a nested weight that ejects itself from its nest when the buoy hits the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buoys are flotation devices that have utility in many different contexts. For example, a diver may carry a buoy during a dive, and release it to mark a location when it floats to the surface. In other applications, a buoy may be released from a surface vessel to mark a channel or other location.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,380 to Parker shows a recovery buoy of the type carried by a diver for subsequent release. It includes a body having a reel area around which an elongate cord is wound; a weight is attached to the end of the cord and cancels out the buoyancy of the device while the diver is transporting the buoy under water. When the diver desires to mark the location of an under water structure or other under water point of interest, the weight is secured to the structure and the buoy is released so that it floats to the surface. The cord unwinds as the buoy rises.
Thus, buoys having flexible elongate cords coiled thereabout are known, but buoys having self-ejecting weights do not appear in the prior art. More importantly, the art does not suggest how a self-ejecting weight means could be provided.